Hard to Say Goodbye

Today was Carys's last day at daycare and it was bittersweet.  I'm so excited that we'll be able to spend each day together and I'm already working on fun things we can do together.  But...I was still sad today to say goodbye to the teachers that have taken such good care of her for the last 8 months.  When Carys started daycare she was only 3 months old and I remember vividly how hard it was to leave her.

She was still so little and the thought of leaving her with strangers was gut-wrenching - she was my baby!  I had dreaded going back to work so much that I didn't finalize our decision about which daycare we were going to send her to until 1 week before I went back to work!  I think I thought if I avoided making the decision - I could avoid having to leave her!  I had a couple of options in our home town that were less than 2 minutes away and was planning on choosing one of those, but at the last minute I decided to check out a center that was quite a bit further away.  I had to take Carys with me to visit, and she was not a happy camper that morning.  She screamed throughout the whole tour, and they were probably thinking - we don't want this grumpy kid!  But, I got a really good feeling about the place, and despite the crying they gave me an application!  I was super comfortable with everyone I met and the babies seemed happy and content.  I know this is far from an expert review, and I can't tell you exactly what this place had that the others didn't - but I really felt that it fit.  Of course it was more expensive and because it was further away that meant I would have to do both the drop off and pick up every day, since it was out of the way for Scott.  But we decided that it was worth the additional money and distance to take her where we would be most comfortable, and looking back it was totally the right decision.  It was still really hard to leave her, but I knew she was in good hands.  It was evident when I dropped her off and picked her up that she loved her teachers and they loved her back!

They made her this little book with all the pictures they've taken of her and everyone signed it!

The hardest part was just missing her every day.  By the time we got home, we had an hour and 1/2 to play with her, feed her, give her a bath, and put her to bed.  It just wasn't enough.  So, the decision to stay home with her wasn't a childcare issue - I feel extremely fortunate to have had such a positive experience and I believe that Carys has benefited in many ways from her time there. Rather, it was my desire to just be there...for all the little things, good and bad.  So, while it was hard to say goodbye today, I'm just so thankful to have this opportunity to spend time with her while she's little.  I know she'll be leaving for college before I know it, and I don't want to miss a minute in between!